Marion's Trusted Tools & Resources
My extensive 40-year gardening journey ensures that only the most reliable and effective tools and resources make it onto this list. With the right tools, gardening becomes a dream.That’s why I invest a huge amount of time testing the tools and resources I use. This page contains my shortlist of recommendations and that I use when I am in the garden or in the kitchen.Rest assured, I only recommend resources that I have personally used and trust. But before we dive in, you need to read an important disclosure: Some of the links on this page are affiliate links. This means that, at no additional cost to you, I may earn a commission if you make a purchase through these links.
Garden Tools
CobraHead Weeder & Cultivator
The CobraHead is a fantastic gardening tool! I use it for many chores, from pulling out reluctant weeds (and roots) to poking around tender plants and fluffing soil. This hand cultivator comes with a blade designed to cut through any soil, even clay. It’s slender, lovely and durable!
The Original Hori Hori Weeding Knife
This is one of my favorite garden tools. It’s fabulous for weeding and planting. Incredibly durable, stainless steel, with serrated and plain edges. Even has inch markings on the blade — very handy!
Ladbrooke Micro Soil Block Maker
I’ve used my Ladbrooke soil blocker for over 20 years. It’s the best tool for starting small to medium seeds. The cuber punches out a block of 20 cubes at a time. Each seed has its own cube, which means seedlings don’t suffer from transplant shock. Made in England.
Japanese Garden Hoe and Hand Cultivator
We really need to get another one of these garden hoes! My husband and I both love this tool and we’re always stealing it from each other. We use it to loosen soil, dig weeds, transplant seedlings and larger plants. It’s tough, lightweight, and feels perfectly balanced in your hand. The handle is made of beautiful Japanese vertebra wood.
REOTEMP Heavy Duty Compost Thermometer
I’ve been making compost in Alaska for almost 40 years, and REOTEMP’s heavy duty compost thermometer is rugged! Its stainless steel 24-inch, 5/16″ diameter stem is perfect for all compost piles. The dial is in F and C and is easy to read. It comes with a 1 Year Limited Warranty and is made in the USA. This model is compatible with the REOTEMP FM-0 Probe Guard (recommended for easy lifting and moving around) for added
protection of the dial.
REOTEMP Soil & Compost Thermometer
For measuring soil and compost temps, Reotemp provides high-quality, garden thermometers. I like the 12-inch stem for monitoring a small compost pile or soil for transplanting seedlings and general planting. The thermometer is hermetically sealed which means it wonit fog up if you rinse it off with water. Included is a free PDF digital compost guide to get you started with composting. The thermometer comes calibrated and features a 1-year limited warranty.
Orbit Turret Watering Wand
I searched high and low to find a multi-purpose watering wand. Orbit is the one! The 36-inch want has a head that ratches back and forth and provides 9 spray patterns. Its extends to 36-inches making it great for watering hanging baskets and hard-to-reach areas. The ratcheting head also rotates 180 degrees. And I love the lever fireman grip for adjusting the water flow.
Dramm ColorStorm 9-Pattern Turret Sprinkler
I like a green tidy lawn but I don’t like gas mowers. Which makes the American Lawn Mower Company’s 14-Inch 4-blade push reel lawn mower perfect! I also love it as a green alternative to gas-powered lawnmowers. It’s easy to use and cuts your lawn in a clean, scissor-like motion that makes your lawn well, beautifully mowed! This reel lawn mower is low maintenance and only requires sharpening once every 3-5 years.
Push Reel Lawn Mower
I like a green tidy lawn but I don’t like gas mowers. Which makes the American Lawn Mower Company’s 14-Inch 4-blade push reel lawn mower perfect! I also love it as a green alternative to gas-powered lawnmowers. It’s easy to use and cuts your lawn in a clean, scissor-like motion that makes your lawn well, beautifully mowed! This reel lawn mower is low maintenance and only requires sharpening once every 3-5 years.
Heavy-Duty Watering Can
I bought my first Dramm watering can over 10 years ago. I love it
because when it comes to watering cans, I’m pretty fussy. They must be well-balanced, have a long spout with a LONG reach, a detachable “rose’ so you can tap out debris, and a handle that you can grab anywhere and get the job done.
Beautiful Bamboo Plant Stand
You won’t be embarassed to set up this beautiful bamboo plant stand in your living room! It’s over 3 feet tall and 12 inches deep — perfect for growing seedlings or displaying indoor plants in small spaces. It stores easily – collapses to fit in a closet for seasonal use.
Heavy-Duty Plant Growing Tray
Perma-Nest trays are my favorite all-purpose trays. I use them for starting seeds, moving plants, harvesting, and more. They are super-strong, which means they don’t bend, warp, and split. Plus, you don’t need a support tray underneath. Store them inside when you’re not using them and they’ll last you a lifetime. Standard 21 x 10 x 2 inches.
Renee’s Garden Seeds
I have been a customer of Renee’s Garden for nearly 30 years. Renee is a pioneer seeds-woman, scouting out high-quality and unusual varieties
from around the world. Tip: If you love sweet peas, check out Renee’s selection!
Materials:
Tulle Fabric
A fellow gardener in the UK turned me on to tulle for keeping all kinds of pests out of my raised beds. Tulle is a high quality, supple, yet strong polyester. Perfect for stretching over hoops and other supports to keep insects and pests from devastasting your crops. Allows rain in and keeps pests out.
Dura Skrim Reinforced Clear Plastic Sheeting
Dura Skrim is our favorite go-to cover for mini-hoops (garden tunnels). It is super-strong, able to handle Alaska winds! Lightweight, and flexible, this string-reinforced polyethylene plastic sheeting is also ideal for greenhouses. UV resistant, this 6 mil thickness will last for many years. Comes in a variety of sizes.
Kitchen Essentials:
Excalibur Electric Food Dehydrator
In our house, the Excalibur dehydrator is a workhorse for making fruit leathers, herbs, corn chips, you name it. Love the 26-hour timer,
automatic shut-off feature and temperature control which allows you to dry/cook food at lower drying temperatures. Includes the booklet: Guide
to Dehydration. 9 trays.
Plant-Strong: Discover the World’s Healthiest Diet
Plant-Strong is the best plant-based eating “starter book” out there. Rip Esselstyn arms you with facts to debunk myths and persuade skeptics. Learn why meat and dairy aren’t essential, and how plant-based diets lead to better health and vitality. If you eat plants, you lose weight and feel great!
Plant-Powered Families: Over 100 Kid-Tested, Whole-Foods Vegan Recipes
When we switched to plant-based eating, Plant-Powered Families was my first cookbook. Dreena Burton shows that a whole foods, plant-based diet
can be easy, delicious, and healthy for your entire family. I love her whole-food, vegan recipes. Your family and friends will love the variety of breakfasts, lunches, dinners, desserts, and snacks.
How Not to Age: The Scientific Approach to Getting Healthier as You Get Older
Thank goodness for Dr. Michael Greger! He explains how diet influences aging and chronic illness. Don’t delay. Discover strategies to avoid
common diseases. We don’t need Big Pharma to keep us feeling young―we already have the tools — food!
How Not to Die: Discover the Foods Scientifically Proven to Prevent and Reverse Disease
From His Holiness the Dalai Lama: “This book may help those who are susceptible to illnesses that can be prevented.”How Not to Die our bible
when it comes to learning about the groundbreaking scientific evidence behind the only diet that can help prevent and reverse many of the causes of disease-related death.
Dreena’s Kind Kitchen: 100 Whole-Foods Vegan Recipes to Enjoy Every Day
I love Dreena Burton’s dedication to creating plant-based, whole-food recipes for more than 20 years. Now, she has created this one-stop
resource for making 100+ recipes that are kinder, more compassionate food choices, for other beings, for the planet, and for yourself. My
issue is totally dog-eared!
Other Miscellaneous Resources:
Yellow 2-Sided Sticky Traps
(30 Pack)
We trim these yellow sticky traps to fit all sorts of situations from the outside garden, greenhouse and indoor plants. The double-sided traps
are great for trapping aphids, leaf miners, fungus gnats, thrips, white flies and more. Non-toxic, 6 x 8 inches and really sticky! Wire ties are included.
Marion Owen
If you’ve ever felt frustrated with gardening—I’ve been there. When I started over 40 years ago, I was full of self-doubt. But with time (and plenty of compost), I found my way. I even co-authored the New York Times bestseller Chicken Soup for the Gardener’s Soul—and now I help gardeners around the world grow with more confidence. Whether you’re just starting out or starting over, I’m here to help. Every gardener has a dream. And since you’re here, I believe you have one, too. Welcome.
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Gardener’s Coach/The UpBeet Gardener is supported by its audience. When you buy something using the links provided on these pages, I might earn a small commission.I only make recommendations on items that I use myself and am not endorsed or sponsored by any company.
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